Prescriptive Authority and Barriers to NP Practice

Abstract

In Brief For decades, nurse practitioners (NPs) have faced a myriad of difficulties as they attempted to provide comprehensive patient care, including pharmacologic therapies. NPs have also struggled to remove constraints on their ability to practice to the full extent of their potential. Intensive legislative and regulatory work has been necessary to advance autonomous NP practice. This article examines issues surrounding removing barriers to practice. 1 For decades, nurse practitioners (NPs) have faced a myriad of difficulties as they attempted to provide comprehensive patient care, including pharmacological therapies. NPs have also struggled to remove constraints on their ability to practice to the full extent of their potential. Intensive legislative and regulatory work has been necessary to advance autonomous NP practice. Safriet's 1992 seminal analysis of constraints on the scope of NP practice, prescriptive authority, and eligibility for reimbursement continues to provide important guidance for removing barriers to practice.